UPDATE 1-June Canada auto sales up 1 pct to 171,608 -Desrosiers

July 3 (Reuters) - Canadian auto sales in June rose 1.3 percent to 171,608 vehicles, industry consultant Desrosiers said on Wednesday.

Ford Motor Co saw its sales fall 6 percent, but it remained the top-selling automaker in Canada in June with sales of 28,703 vehicles.

Chrysler Group, majority-owned by Fiat SpA, was second, with sales of 26,054 vehicles, 11 percent higher than a year ago. It was the 43rd consecutive month that Chrysler reported a year-over-year sales gain.

General Motors Co was third. Its sales rose 8 percent to 24,707 vehicles.

Overall, the auto industry sold more new vehicles last month than in any previous June, Desrosiers said.

In the United States, U.S.-based automakers on Tuesday reported an increase in sales of pickup trucks that outstripped the industry’s overall pace.

The same occurred in Canada last month, where U.S.-based automakers reported double-digit June sales gains for pickup trucks, while sales of sedans and other passenger cars fell 5 percent.

June Canadian sales of light trucks, which includes SUVs, rose 7 percent.

Toyota Motor Corp Canadian sales in June fell 4 percent, to 17,052 vehicles.

Also topping 10,000 in Canadian June sales were Hyundai Motor Co at 14,605, up 6 percent, and Honda Motor Co at 13,416, up 11 percent.

Ford’s F-Series pickup truck sales of 11,051 were up 15 percent from a year ago.